Food and Beverages: Wines of Germany

Wines of Germany

Germany produces small quantities of wine almost, rank second to France.

White wines are low in alcohol. The quality of grapes depends on the grape’s sugar content and acidity and the balance of the fruit, therefore to grow right variety of grapes in the right6soil is very important.

The vineyards are located on either sides of the Rhine River and its tributaries.

Germany is the most northern region of Europe,

Grape Varieties:

Different colours of germ,an wine

Riesling: These grapes ripen very late and have the ability to withstand very cold temperatures, [22ºC / 44ºF ]. They have a good balance of sugar and acidity.

Sylvaner: Ripens earlier than Riesling, produce mellow and soft wine.

Traminer: Small in size and late ripening like Riesling, but produce highly aromatic wines with lasting flavour.

Müller-Thurgau: These are grapes that are cross between Riesling and Sylvaner. It has
Sylvaner’s early ripening and Riesling’s flavour. It gives high yields and used for blending.

Spätburgunder: [Pinot Noir] notable red grapes for red wines.

Wine regions:

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer: Mosl wines grow in the wine regions of Mossell’s river and its tributaries,called Saar and Ruwer.Riesling and few other grapes are grown in this region.

The old variety of Elbling is now revived, because of its acidity to make base wines and Germany’s Sparkling wine ‘Sekt’

Mosells wines are light bodied, low in alcohol content, [less than any other European wine] , Greenish in hue, has a exceptional clarity and a fine bouquet.. Drunk when quite young and reach maturity within 4 years.

It is a perfect summer drink, served cold, not iced, but chilled, it comes in a flute shaped green bottle

German wine label

Best wines of Mosells come from the lower, middle, regions:
Winnigen
Cochem

Bruttig
Erden

Graach

Kues

Senheim,

Piesport, etc.

Best wines from Saar and Rüwer valleys
Kasel

Waldrach

Ayl

Saarburg

Oberemmel

Grünhaus

Serrig

Mosel also boasts of Germany’s has a finest vineyards like, Bernkasteler Doctor.

The famous Four of Rhine Valley:

Rheingau: It is the home of ‘HOCK’, which is traditionally sold in brown bottles. Hock is regarded as a Generic name. it is derived from Hochheim, a wine growing centre on the bank of Mainz, from where the finest wines come.

Grape Varieties:
Riesling----- White

Sylvaner ----White

Portugieser –Red

Spätburgunder –Red
These wines are white, from dry to sweet and have a delicate flavour.

Trhe famous Rheingau wine is Steinberger, comes from the vineyard near Erbach in the centre of Rheingau, other important places are Oestrich, Winkel and Hallgarten, famous for the hallgarten family Spain and settled in a village called hallgarten in the 1500’s

Famous produces of Rheingau:

Schloss Villrads

Schloss Johannisberg

Rheinpfaiz: Wines of this region have good balance between the acidity of the north, [mosel & rheingau] and the alcohol of the south, [Baden], this area is protected by the mountains and the vineyards in the shadows produce the beat wines.

Grape Varieties in this region:

Riesling, Spätburgunde,

Müller-Thurgau, Grauburgunder,

Morio Muskat, Kerner.

Nahe: This region is situated near the river nahe, a tributary of river rhine, the grape variety used are Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Sylvaner. Produce soft aromatic wines, which are cross between acidic wines of Rheingau, and fuller and more alcoholic wines from Rheinpfai,

It is a home for wines like:

Schlossböckel,

Heim,

Nieder Hausen

Rheinhessen: this is a loop of the river Rhine, the main grape variety are:

Müller-Thurgau,

Sylvaner.

The vineyards are directly on the river of Rhine, known as Rheinfront, best in the region.

Wines of this region are:

Oppenheim,

Gunterblum.

And the best wine of this region is, Niersteiner.

Liebfraumilch, a wine from rheinhessen.it means ‘A beloved woman’s milk’ or ‘Mother’s Milk’ since it is slightly sweet. It is a generic term referring to the Rhine valley.

Ahr: Produces red and rosé from Spätburgunde and Portugieser grapes,

Baden: it is a foothill of black forest of the north, down to Basel in Switzerland; it is a warm and lots of sunshine area, main grape variety:

Spätburgunde and Müller-Thurgau

These wines are red and rosé, they are full bodied, high in alcohol and fruity in flavour from Riesling grapes

Over 90% Of Baden’s production comes from a huge co-operative ZBW, [Zentralkellerei badischer Winzergenossenschaften ]

Fraken [Franconia]: Known for its Beer wine, made from Sylvaner and Mülle, most widely used grape varieties,these wines are made by co-operatives and sold in Squat flask,shaped bottles, kwon as ‘Bopckbeutel’

E.g.: excellent wines are:: Sylvaner, it is aearthy, vegetal and smoky flavour

Steinwein, it is flinty and dry

Amtliche Prüfungsnummer: [A P Number], consists of:

Year of examination,

The community number,

Code number of the bottle, which includes, Wine category,

Alcohol content,

Quality in bottle, [750ml]

German Sparkling wine: Sekt: well known German sparkling wine. Often made from, thin acidic juice of unripe grapes. Sekt is made by a Tank methodé,

Smaller producers use Riesling and make wine from Champenoisé Methodé, known as Flaschengärung.

Deutscher Sekt: Sparkling wine made from German grapes. Sekt is made from imported grapes, which may or may not be blended with German wine.